Mrebo

Funding would be the biggest hurdle. Without the funding, problems with dedication and discipline arise. And you're right that agreeing on a story would be a major issue. Now if someone had a story that was well-liked and had a lot of money, that person would be the de facto director and would need to make it happen.

I don't think a purely collaborative effort would work because everyone would expect control roughly in proportion to those resources given.

There is a lot of talent to be tapped in terms of editing and effects on this site and others. There are impressive model makers on other sites. Any number of us know people who are actors or involved in movie making of some sort. But quality control would be a stumbling block even if we had the money. Even the best of fan films suffer from some poor acting and a lack of polish. Despite the level of talent we can probably find, it would take a lot to make sure the film satisfies our expectations for its quality. Maybe I underestimate the talent that could be found - I hope that is the case!

The elephant in the room is lack of authorization by Lucasfilm. GL has been great about letting people make fan films and edits as long as no money is made. One would hope the same standard would apply if fans wanted to create an alternative vision of the prequels.

Okay, putting my crawl where my mouth is (that sounds terrible):

The Galactic Republic is in turmoil. A growing number of planets threaten to secede as the Republic demands greater power in the name of peace and prosperity.

The mysterious Jedi warriors who have long protected the Republic are now viewed with suspicion by those who oppose the Republic's growing reach.

Jedi Knight Obi Wan Kenobi makes his way to the capitol planet of Coruscant in hopes of finding a solution that will save the Republic....

-------◊-------

I think I've respected most of the lessons I learned. My adjective use is weak and will probably try to work on that, though I think it reads well. What I need to address is the very vague last paragraph. I need to figure out what lone Jedi Obi Wan is doing (apparently even he has no idea). My story is developing (I wish I was better at outlining) and it centers on (as said in the crawl) attempts to control member planets. The focus

of the story is an attempt by the Republic to control galactic military power. I need to make Obi Wan's intention on that matter more clear....

DuracellEnergizer,

I like your crawl with many good adjectives! And sets up the first scene very well. I can't help but feel the first paragraph repeats itself a little but definitely captures the hyperbolic style.

Before I started writing any scenes, I tried to write an opening crawl. I think this is a good tactic since it forces me to have a clear idea of the main point of the story and to keep that purpose in mind. So I went back to analyze the crawls from the OT and the PT to see how they did it.

Feel free to skip my discussion if tl;dr and tell me if you agree with my lessons learned or have anything to add. Also feel free to post your crawls!

It is a period of civil war.
Rebel spaceships, striking
from a hidden base, have won
their first victory against
the evil Galactic Empire.

During the battle, Rebel
spies managed to steal secret
plans to the Empire's
ultimate weapon, the DEATH
STAR, an armored space
station with enough power
to destroy an entire planet.

Pursued by the Empire's
sinister agents, Princess
Leia races home aboard her
starship, custodian of the
stolen plans that can save her
people and restore
freedom to the galaxy....

So a total of four sentences, none of which really repeat the same idea (harder than it sounds!). Note the use of good simple adjectives (hidden, evil, secret, ultimate, sinister, stolen, entire) to reinforce the story.

It sets up the first scene, letting us jump into the action. And the whole course of the movie relates to using those Death Star plans in an effort to restore freedom to the galaxy.

There is the quirk/discrepancy that Leia is allegedly racing to Alderaan ("home") when in actuality Bail Organa sent her to recruit Obi Wan. Now perhaps it's because Tatooine is on the way to Alderaan and it was going to be a quick pit stop. Still worth noting she's not only headed home.

It is a dark time for the
Rebellion. Although the Death
Star has been destroyed,
Imperial troops have driven the
Rebel forces from their hidden
base and pursued them across
the galaxy.

Evading the dreaded Imperial
Starfleet, a group of freedom
fighters led by Luke Skywalker
has established a new secret
base on the remote ice world
of Hoth.

The evil lord Darth Vader,
obsessed with finding young
Skywalker, has dispatched
thousands of remote probes into
the far reaches of space....

More solid declarative sentences. Plenty of simple adjectives (hidden, dreaded, secret, remote, evil). But I see even more dissonance between the crawl and the movie. I never got the sense that the Rebellion was now led by Luke, though he obviously was an important figure after destroying the Death Star. It isn't until later in the movie that Vader and the Emperor discuss Luke's significance. But the movie is ultimately about capturing Luke and Luke was certainly a leader in the rebellion. It sets us up for the first scene of probes hurling through space.

Luke Skywalker has returned to
his home planet of Tatooine in
an attempt to rescue his
friend Han Solo from the
clutches of the vile gangster
Jabba the Hutt.

Little does Luke know that the
GALACTIC EMPIRE has secretly
begun construction on a new
armored space station even
more powerful than the first
dreaded Death Star.

When completed, this ultimate
weapon will spell certain doom
for the small band of rebels
struggling to restore freedom
to the galaxy...

This crawl is a bit different in that it doesn't directly set up the first scene. It lets us know the state of affairs and the challenges that must be confronted. Certainly it would have been better to state the need for Luke to confront his destiny, but we have a good grasp of the basics. Adjectives: home, vile, dreaded, ultimate, certain.

Turmoil has engulfed the
Galactic Republic. The taxation
of trade routes to outlying star
systems is in dispute.

Hoping to resolve the matter
with a blockade of deadly
battleships, the greedy Trade
Federation has stopped all
shipping to the small planet
of Naboo.

While the congress of the
Republic endlessly debates
this alarming chain of events,
the Supreme Chancellor has
secretly dispatched two Jedi
Knights, the guardians of
peace and justice in the
galaxy, to settle the conflict...

The first thing that stands out is the vagueness of the first sentence. It's certainly redeemable as long as the second sentence explains who/what/why (see ESB crawl). The second sentence stands out as the first passive sentence of any SW crawl (correct me if I'm wrong). It's not clear if the trade dispute is a reason or a symptom of the galaxy-wide turmoil and we still don't know who/why. There is the quirk that only Naboo is actually known to be dealing with a trade dispute in the film.

In the next paragraph, we learn the "who," though they're trying to resolve the matter. But they're not good guys, they're "greedy". The last paragraph does a decent job of setting up the first scene, even if we don't really understand the significance of it. There aren't as many good adjectives but does throw in some decent adverbs.

With EpIV we know its about the Rebellion against the Death Star, a weapon that can destroy planets. EpV is getting Luke Skywalker, a powerful threat to the Empire. EpVI another ultimate weapon needs to be defeated. EpI our heroes need to stop a trade dispute. I think this is an instructive exercise, if you see what I mean.

There is unrest in the Galactic
Senate. Several thousand solar
systems have declared their
intentions to leave the Republic.

This separatist movement,
under the leadership of the
mysterious Count Dooku, has
made it difficult for the limited
number of Jedi Knights to maintain 
peace and order in the galaxy.

Senator Amidala, the former
Queen of Naboo, is returning
to the Galactic Senate to vote
on the critical issue of creating
an ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC
to assist the overwhelmed
Jedi....

Unrest in a senate is not as exciting as unrest in the galaxy, but that is the basic point, so let's not be too critical just because it's the PT. There is a significant issue here with the Republic on the verge of falling apart.

I'm not sure who Dooku is but he's mysterious and the separatist movement is straining the Jedi. This is all fine in my view, I'm sure we'll get to know who Dooku is. And it ultimately sets up the first scene. The point of the movie is creating an army. Though that purpose is general peacekeeping apparently. Not to keep the Republic together.

There is again a lack of simple and reinforcing adjectives. But it's an acceptable premise with a clear goal, though peacekeeping is not as exciting as saving the Republic. I never got the sense that Dooku was leading a broad coalition of planets leaving the Republic, but rather a small number of merchant groups. But again, not every crawl exactly corresponded with what we saw on the screen.

War! The Republic is crumbling
under attacks by the ruthless
Sith Lord, Count Dooku.
There are heroes on both sides.
Evil is everywhere.

In a stunning move, the
fiendish droid leader, General
Grievous, has swept into the
Republic capital and kidnapped
Chancellor Palpatine, leader of
the Galactic Senate.

As the Separatist Droid Army
attempts to flee the besieged
capital with their valuable
hostage, two Jedi Knights lead a
desperate mission to rescue the
captive Chancellor....

As a finale, I don't mind the dramatic "War!" The crawls are meant to be a bit dramatic after all. Not sure I'd go that route, but such a stylistic exclamation can serve a purpose. The Republic is crumbling because of attacks. As we know it's because of the Sith, though we don't really know the motivation of the separatists.

The relativistic musing about heroes on both sides and pointless notation of evil everywhere detracts from the usual pithiness of the crawls. We are informed of the current crisis that sets up the first scene. As for the rest of the movie...not certain what it's about. Lots of war to save the Republic I gather. Some decent adjectives (ruthless, stunning, fiendish, besieged) though a bit more highbrow than the OT.

Comparisons:

The OT did a better job of identifying exciting objectives of the movies.

A New Hope concerned an epic struggle between two powers and the need to destroy a deadly weapon. Before watching the movie, we have an idea that the "new hope" is probably hope of defeating the Empire. And the movie basically bears this out.

The Empire Strikes Back concerned the hunt for Luke Skywalker. Obviously the Empire is striking back after its earlier defeat.

Return of the Jedi is more diffuse, needing to (1a) rescue Han Solo and (1b) defeat another great weapon. So it's the culmination of the struggle. And "Return of the Jedi" certainly refers to Luke's growth as a Jedi.

The Phantom Menace is about a trade dispute that is upsetting the galaxy. The phantom menace is most likely the reason for the dispute. Okay, so we figure out the Sith are the phantom menace and there is in fact a trade dispute for some reason.

Attack of the Clones is about maintaining peace in the galaxy by creating an army. What does it have to do with clones and who are they attacking? Guess we have to watch it. Would be nice to explain the title in the crawl.

Revenge of the Sith is about massive war and a crumbling Republic. Obviously the heroes are going to tackle this problem. And while we know the Sith are the evil force users, what are they getting revenge for?

What is absent in the PT crawls? Any mention of Anakin (it's not like this is the story of Darth Vader or anything) or Obi Wan.Well actually, they're charitably referred to as "two Jedi Knights" in the ROTS crawl.

The PT is a bunch of stuff happening for "mysterious" reasons. And I'm not criticizing the films per se (I do so elsewhere). I'm criticizing the lack of focus in the crawls. They aren't quite as pithy and simple as the OT crawls. I wonder if GL also writes his crawls first. The initial lack of focus could very well result in unfocused films.

Lessons:

1. Be concise. Do not repeat the same point in different ways. But do build upon preceding sentences.
2. Be precise. Don't be afraid of saying exactly who is doing what. Mystery need not be lost by identifying the real purpose of the movie - as long as you're not saying something like, "...and Luke discover Vader is his father".
3. Use simple adjectives to reinforce who is good, who is bad, and how serious the situation is.
4. The crawls haven't always neatly corresponded with what happened on screen and involve a little bit of dramatic overstatement or simplification.
5. Use the crawl to provide context for the first scene, not just a laundry list of events and characters.

I'm sure this has been seen by 99% of you but it's worth watching again. It inspires the optimistic view of Star Wars I think we all know:

Messersmith -  Tatooine

CWBorne said:

Again its likely a reflection of my own adulthood, and there's a good chance someone on here will explain that discussions and arguments could get just as embittered and nasty 15 years ago, but I don't know, just seems like there was a genuine sense of hopefulness to the whole franchise that's sorely lacking these days. 

We were in the denial stage back then and have only recently gone into the anger stage xD

It would not at all be surprising if people seemed more optimistic pre-PT. We were awaiting new films. Silly novels were easily compartmentalized as not really Star Wars since they weren't the movies. Granted we still do that. But back then it was all about possibility.

Then the PT changed everything. It professed to say, this is what happened, and yes it happened this stupidly. I think it made many of us take a more critical view. And if we could reject actual movies...why not reject any form of Star Wars media.

Of course that was about the time the Yuuzhan Vong appeared and proceeded to murder Chewbacca. Hm, shocking we became less optimistic! :p

Eh, maybe we're curmudgeons.

I think about how my own views have changed since 1999. I know that having time to digest the PT has changed many of my ideas.

May those that love us, love us.
And those that don't love us,
May God turn their hearts.
And if He doesn't turn their hearts,
May He turn their ankles
So we will know them by their limping.
~Irish Blessing

I'm also optimistic that George Lucas will recognize the desire for the original Star Wars. I agree with Tyr, there's still good in him!

darth_ender said:

You know, I suspect that if these movies came out in sequential order rather than OT, then PT, people would see them as inferior but still decent films.

If Star Wars had no history and started with Episode I in the year 1999, then sure that's possible. I'm not thoroughly convinced, but it is a reasonable proposition. The excessive slapstick humor, terrible love scenes, poor acting, and intrusive CGI would be hallmarks of the Star Wars franchise. There would be critics of the PT, as there are of any movies, but it wouldn't be based on precise notions of what it could have been (like if we had alternative visions of the Star Wars universe from other films).

The passion on this board amuses me.

-_- Funny how? I mean, funny like I'm a clown? I amuse you? I make you laugh?

I certainly don't like the PT nearly as much, but I can still watch and enjoy them.  In my mind, I can incorporate them into my personal Star Wars canon or disregard them, depending on my mood.

I don't completely fault people for this view. Especially younger people. I fault George Lucas for it :(

After seeing Avatar, my younger cousin who was a huge Star Wars fan announced that he thinks Avatar is even better than Star Wars. Can't really blame him seeing as he grew up with the PT.

Before you feel frustrated by yet another challenging reply, I'm saying you do have a point, but I think it's an unfortunate one. I certainly don't feel animosity toward you. What upsets so many is that we had hopes of what the PT could have been and those hopes are forever dashed. Just as if this had been ESB (still makes me jump a little xD). And some of us are honestly critical of the PT in its own right and can't enjoy it. Just as I appreciate the Holiday Special in its own right by not watching it.

And this is all relevant to liking elements of the prequels since many of us habitually contrast every element with the OT. My point is that this is justified!

As for what I liked: the water planet of Kamino and the battle between Jango and Obi Wan. I thought Watto was a good character. I liked Zam Wesell. I like the concept of a crisis leading up to a military creation act.

The Conspirator / The Lincoln Lawyer

Possibly two totally different kinds of movies (I've only seen the first) but quite confusing as they were both out at the same time. Seriously, didn't the marketers of the Lincoln Lawyer consider this confusion? Couldn't it have been The Mitsubishi Lawyer or something?

We could do the same exact kind of exercise to show Clinton was a Republican or Bush was a Democrat (yes, really). Most of your examples may just as well point to ineffective leadership - not ideology. And some stuff, like pretending Romney's health care plan is a Republican idea, is just specious. It's like saying Don't-Ask-Don't-Tell and DOMA are Democratic ideas since Clinton signed them.

Certainly Obama has not lived up to the hype and undefined and abstract hopes of his admirers. Also, Bush was not that partisan, but he did pursue unpopular policies. As evidence consider his attempt at immigration reform and his signing of Ted Kennedy's No Child Left Behind.

Bingowings said:

skyjedi2005 said:

Isn't Socialism lovely.

If by Socialism you mean postal workers exercising their democratic rights to protect their working conditions, it's a bloody pain.

Communism is much better, no workers rights there, people just work, make stuff, sell it cheap and undermine the regimes of Capitalist countries by flooding their evil markets with the sort of cheap goods you are typing on now.

Hee, hee, hee.

Just wait until their middle classes become too big to handle.

If I were to exercise my "democratic rights" by not working...I would be without a job.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLyv_TDbTXk

That is astounding and cool.

@VideInfra78

I've started and I run into the same thoughts/issues as xhonzi.

My ideas are improved from reading other people's scripts/thoughts. Reading xhonzi's beginning really made me rethink how I would start. My idea was Obi Wan's ship being attacked by several small pirate ships near Tatooine, resulting in a crash landing. I like the scene but I think I need to make it more important that a plot device for getting Obi Wan to Tatooine. I think xhonzi has a good idea in jumping right into the Clone Wars.

I've thought it could be neat to have a wiki style editing system in order to construct a prequel many would enjoy. Of course, it could result in middling results.

CWBorne suggested paying homage to "New Hollywood" films. That inspired me to watch Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. While I've yet to get a full sense of the stylistic elements, that movie was inspiring for the relationship between Obi Wan and Anakin. And there is a scene on a cliff that I would be tempted to borrow almost completely.

I guess it could be nice for more of us to post things we've written. I shy away from doing so because I'm afraid of not continuing or I will want to radically revise it and don't want to present something so tentative... And of course, delusions of grandeur make me think I can present a finished product so compelling that others would fall over in awe XD

Maybe I'll post something, since I have been inspired and helped by what others have written. Feedback would be helpful too I suppose.

LoL. The very same.

He tours with them.

I like them. They played live outside my window a couple nights ago with John Stamos.

Okay, not right outside my window, but close enough I could hear the concert pretty well. But I refuse to be wooed by Stamos in any event.

BloodnoseThePirate said:

New Gameplay:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LToSetCKIHo&feature=player_embedded#at=337

After reading the impressions on massively , I might just stick with LOTRO. I don't know that I feel like grinding and slashing through another game. The story element is interesting and hope there is a free trial to see if that makes up for the lacking novelty of gameplay.

But if you think CGI looks more real...I guess we just have different perceptions of reality.

As much as I appreciate you trying to speak for me, let me clarify.  As I've said a few times before, I think CGI looks as good as, or better, than Matte paintings - when used as a background enhancement, the way matte paintings were in decades past.

However, CGI characters, objects, and entire scenes - Gollum, Jar Jar, droids, & nearly every scene I've viewed a screengrab of from the prequels - do not look more real.

 

Appreciation noted. Though I was obviously drawing a possible conclusion from what you wrote ("But if..."). But thank you for the clarification.

I'm with SilverWook in appreciating the non-mobile concept. We appear to agree that CGI isn't better anyhow.

I agree with everything doubleKO wrote in his posts - his view of Jabba and the guards, the non-relevance of merely criticizing the puppets/masks in a thread about CGI, etc. Puppets can be poorly done (as you observe about Gamorreans, doubleKO points out about PT Yoda and TheBoost points out about the Syfy and 50's movies) but that doesn't speak to the overuse of CGI when latex can be more realistic.

Anchorhead said:

I agree 100%.  The moment that guard showed up on the screen, I felt a huge let down.  It was comical.  At least I assumed it was meant to be.  That rubber suit is so fake & silly looking that you know immediately our heroes are in no danger what so ever.  Same with Jabba.  Both looked like Sigmund and the Sea Monsters.  I half expected 3PO to say "Hey, big daddy". 

Weird that you would feel a "huge" let down after seeing the creatures in the cantina. Jabba looked great. But if you think CGI looks more real...I guess we just have different perceptions of reality.

timdiggerm said:

Oh, I agree the Iguana-Thing is pretty awful. However, I maintain that just because CGI enables bad decisions doesn't mean it's inherently bad. Just because Jabba shouldn't move doesn't mean that he can't be CGI. Perhaps Lucas, the concept artists and the animators need to learn what is believable. That's not the same as not using CGI.

Jabba shouldn't be CGI because CGI Jabba looks awful. The revamped CGI Jabba was better, but still pales in comparison to puppet Jabba. The picture perfectly captures the problem with CGI. Why in the world did Lucas use that CGI Jabba? Because he could.

CGI is a good tool in my view. But I think the debate over whether CGI is inherently good or bad is a red herring. What people actually object to (even when they inartfully declare CGI "bad") is the use of CGI when it doesn't work...which is becoming more frequent.

In response to sky and Tyr, the problem is not that it is too much like the OT or that it does not look exciting or well done. It has some literally superficial resemblance to the OT (Stormtrooper, Millenium Falcon, etc) so that it feels almost mocking of the OT. Now while the lightsaber duels in the OT are exciting...please don't tell me that the duels in this video game are similar to those duels. This game is more Star-Warsy in context of the EU/PT than the OT.

I would like to play this game. I would like to play this game because it looks exciting and takes place in the Star Wars universe. As a video game, I don't mind all manner of artistic license and I appreciate the game in its own right. I don't take issue with the choreographed fights because it is a video game.

What feels off to me is that this is thousands of years ago...and there is the Han Solo with the Millenium Falcon commenting on the lacking appearance but great stamina of the ship, etc. It is a legitimate critique of the lack of creativity. There is a difference from borrowing from other sources and borrowing so blatantly from the same source.

So, yes, as a video game and ignoring the almost mocking ripoffs of the OT, zomg this looks like fun and it's Star Wars!!! But it's not Star Wars because of the ripoffs. It's because there are Jedi, aliens, planets and droids. The story will no doubt be good with engaging characters.

I think it is possible to be too efficient but a movie full of details or scenes only interesting within themselves would be a bit tedious. It would be like reading a novel full of parentheticals and footnotes which might be interesting but not move the story forward.

In my own writing I do have a tendency to make the same point over and over again. Mostly because I find my various formulations clever or I feel that they express some extra nuance (when they usually don't). And I think that's where the problem of inefficiency lies. A scene that is clever, emotional, or well done should exist for the purpose of the story you're trying to tell...not just to show off how clever, emotional, or well done it is / you are.

I've seen movies that are too efficient where you can practically see the cinematic strings being pulled and the film moves from scene to scene because that's where it has to go and characters express certain feelings because that's what they have to feel.

In Star Wars there were inefficient parts, like being stuck in the garbage compactor...with Luke being pulled under a second time for absolutely no reason. That has annoyed me for as long as I can remember. I was also still worried about all the Imperials chasing them as they were stuck in that room. Still, the scene served to pace the movie and interject some humor in the middle of a chase. I just wish he hadn't fallen in the second time.

In terms of efficiency for the PT, it would have simply made for a better movie if the romance of Anakin/Padme weren't stand-alone scenes. That was grossly inefficient and ultimately unbelievable. Han and Leia didn't need to run off to a big grassy field or retreat to a bedroom to move their romance forward - it happened in corridors, with glances, with a stolen moment in the middle of action.

I think in most instances, inefficiency is really just unnecessary and a sign of sloppy writing. I think it is possible to tell a story without sacrificing anything while being efficient. And with the format of a movie, time is an issue. In the example you give it sounded like the time constraint determined that something had to be cut, not just the fact that the scene was inefficient. But if the director truly wanted to keep that scene he would have had to cut something else apparently more crucial to the story.

The first scene in Groundhog Day (my favorite non-SW movie) bothers me. It is totally unnecessary. That is a place where I wouldn't mind seeing efficiency work to eliminate a scene.

Return of the Jedi is a notable exception!

But I suspect any number of sequels (not only IIIs) fall short because they try too hard to reinvent the story to make it interesting. The effect might be more pronounced for IIIs because at that point it isn't just about a great original story but more about getting something/anything up on the screen to make money for the producers. By the time of IIIs, the original writer and director might be gone as well as many others initially involved.

Well it's thousands of years in the past, but there are Stormtrooper characters, droidekas (had to look that up), a rogue character with a Millenium Falcon looking ship, and so many other blatant formulaic ripoffs so as to make your head spin. Despite being more bastardization of Star Wars, it looks like a fun game. I'm not too picky about artistic license in video games but I do wish creators could be more...creative.

TheBoost said:

CO said:

T2 and The Abyss are perfect movies where CGI makes them better, but does not overtake the movie.

The Prequels are loaded with CG and just looks like an animated movie (Episode I isn't that bad as that actually has real environments)  Episode II & III are just animated movies with real life characters and wont age well 20 years from now.

Who ever complained Mary Poppins had matte-work overtaking the movie? Does the fact the penguins are plainly 2D animated pen-and-ink figures date that movie terribly? Do the obviously stop-motion skeletons in Jason and the Argonauts overtake the movie?  Or is this simply anti-CG bias.

Acting as if the opening minutes of Ep. III aren't simply spectacular use of CGI, and that the Mustafar duel isn't a breathtaking accomplishment is just denying the overwhelming quality of the work.

If we're under the impression that the special effects in the OT have aged with amazing grace, take a look at the nits being picked in the fan-edit forum. And that's some of the best work with models, matte-paintings, puppets, and stop motion ever done. Take a gander at the middle of the pack special effects from 20-30 years ago.

I think a plurality concede that CGI is a great tool. Two problems with it are that it is so pervasive and it is inferior to certain physical effects.

The pervasiveness means that the special effect isn't usually something in the background that receives little attention (like matte paintings) but is all over the place (eg Ronto butt). We are forced to confront the unreality (eg Ronto butt) and CGI looks especially unreal when placed in actual footage. If it is going to be at the forefront, it better be very well done, whether CGI or physical.

For biological entities, the unreality is especially glaring. But what happens when we need unreal entities (eg fighting skeletons, Gollum, Yoda)? I find puppet Yoda far more real than CGI Yoda. This doesn't mean puppet Yoda is flawless or that I am utterly fooled into believing Yoda is actually real. But puppet Yoda is one super awesome puppet. And not having seen a living Yoda before, I am sufficiently fooled. But having seen puppet Yoda (as well as real cloth), CGI Yoda really does pale in comparison. I think EyeShotFirst is absolutely right on this point. Gollum works in large part because we haven't seen him before. We are glad to suspend disbelief for special effects, including CGI, but that does not make CGI superior (I've always disliked the unreality of Gollum's fall into the lava, btw). If we look with a more critical eye, Gollum is cartoonish and would pale in comparison to physical effects. Compare puppet and CGI Sy Snootles.

Imagine if Lucas had today's CGI in 1977. Perhaps Chewbacca would be the bushbaby that Lucas always wanted with unreal CGI hair. We wouldn't have the same kind of expression in Mayhew's eyes, his shrug at the droid, the basic reality that comes with human movement (which CGI can only capture up to an extent). When we must use physical effects, reality imposes design compromises and time for designs to evolve more radically than George commanding, 'go cook me up this bushbaby guy on the computer.'

I imagine CGI could do a better job than stop motion for the distant shot of Luke's Tauntaun, for fighting skeletons, and allow for more spectacular space battles. But that doesn't mean it should be everywhere.

CGI isn't bad, it's just not as great as many believe.

I agree with you, Bingowings. I thought the previous 2 episodes were fine. But this let me down. Most of the setup was irrelevant. And most of this episode was setup for future episodes (or another spinoff). There was no real climax. Even the Doctor's grand meltdown ("fall further than he ever has") was pro forma and short-lived.

CP3S said:

Mrebo said:

Star Trek (I ponder how transporters/holodecks could be faked)

Seriously? I take it you never went to the Star Trek Experience in Las Vegas?

No, never been that far west. But sounds neat.

The idea of spending time aboard a starship, being treated as a member of the crew, joining engineering and being taught how to 'operate' the ship, and helping to fight off enemy ships would be spectacular. I'd worry about nutjobs in such an immersive experience (eg going ballistic on a poor Klingon warrior) but for most people would just be great fun.

Bah, and I can't believe I left out a Middle Earth theme park.